Category Archives: african

Tanzanian Lacquer

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Just a collection of photographs I have taken of the environment around me in Dar-es-Salaam & Zanzibar that I thought you would all like.

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Coco Beach, Dar-es-Salaam

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These stunning doors were on a hotel in Stone Town, Zanzibar that I took last year. They are so intricate and stunning!

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Fashion for breakfast! I went to the local cafe in Shoppers Plaza in Mikocheni with the latest issue of Fashizblack from Paris. Makes me want to look glossy if only I was motivated to lose weight!

What is going on where you are and what do you think of these photos?

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The double standards of African families or why I am like Capt Ahab in Moby Dick

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It’s been a while since an update and for that I apologise. I heard last week was Moby Dick’s 161st anniversary. I seriously empathise with one of the lead characters, Capt Ahab who is chasing the whale who is his arch-nemesis. I feel like I am chasing my dreams of NOT LIVING AT HOME and they are just not coming to fruition as soon as I would like. Not because I am not trying but because there are obstacles in my way. Case in point, there are dividends that I receive as part of shares my parents got me when I was younger. I cashed those in this year, hoping to have some money available to move out and buy a car, and start planning a London holiday. Continue reading →

3 ways a man gets a woman in bed

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It’s been a crazy few weeks in my personal life. I’ve been going out so much, meeting people and discovering new bars and night haunts. I definitely feel different and I am trying to focus on making money for the business and making new friends and of course, meeting new men.

Some of that ground work has started to pay off.

There is a local guy I met a while ago who was trying for months to get my attention and we finally went out twice this week, the first time in a business capacity and the second time last night personally. He’s a dark horse, a computer guy who knows how to get women. We went on a date last night and he pulled out the stops to highlight that he liked me and if his aim was getting me in the sack, it worked. Here are some of the moves he pulled on me that got him what he wanted from me.

  1. Look at what she drinks: In our first business meeting drinks earlier this week, he saw that I drank a double shot of Johnnie Walker Red Label. He bought me a bottle of Red Label for us to share on the date when we were at the bar. He even came with glasses and ice cubes. It definitely got me tipsy which then got me in the mood for sex…Smart move!
  2. Pick her up: Having a car is not necessary for a man to have game, but if the woman is a petrol and diesel fiend like me and loves cars, it definitely helps to be in a whip. I’m a Taurus so our materialistic nature is always piqued by any kind of possession whether it is mass market or premium. I love cars and seeing him get me in one definitely appealed to my Taurean sensibilities of materialism.
  3. Do what she wants: He pretty much gave me carte blanche on what we should do but I also like that he was easy-going about where we went.

Got to hand it to men though. When a man decides he wants a woman, he goes out there and gets her. We slept together and it was good, but it did hurt a lot considering I had not done it for over 1 year but definitely something I enjoyed.

It’s nice to be in the arms of a man…now the games begin!

 

5 things a schoolgirl crush has made me realise

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This crush has made me realise:

1) I want to look pretty all the time hence me putting on my favourite blush last weekend to go out with my friends (it’s NARS in Exhibit A)

2) I love make-up

3) I love men especially hot sexy black men of the diaspora.

4) I’m over my ex-boyfriend

5) I need to move out of my home so I can indulge in all kinds of illicit behaviour with my crush (if it ever transpires that he’d even like me)

What do crushes make you think?

I hope I stop having this crush asap – I don’t even know if the guy is single.

Dark Girl’s Documentary

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Just watching the trailer of the documentary Dark Girl’s has me wanting to watch more and I can’t wait till it’s released. The documentary explores issues on skin color amongst black women. I’m very interested in hearing what women have to say about how different shades of black play a huge role in how we feel in society. Is this something you would watch? Check out the trailer below.

Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.

Two Reasons I Like Oprah’s OWN Network

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Ok maybe two reasons are not really good enough as to say why I like the Oprah’s OWN network,but those two reasons play a part in why I will continue to watch her network.

The first time I came across the OWN Network I really didn’t care to watch it, I just flipped past the channel with little interest. But a couple of days ago while twisting my hair I decided to give it a shot and watch a couple of shows on the network. Why I like OWN …

  • Season 25 Oprah Behind the Scenes- If the title isn’t self-explanatory itself this show is basically about Oprah behind the scenes on her talk show. What I enjoy most is seeing a black woman running things in the show biz world. I admire how Oprah takes control of her show and how she doesn’t sit back and let others run what she has built, she makes sure she is apart of every decision.  It wasn’t until watching this show I realized how powerful this woman really is. Oprah has come a long way and I believe she is a great role model for black women across the world. I will say that I don’t agree with everything she does or says on the show but I do respect Oprah’s hustle if you know what I mean.
  • Our America with Lisa Ling – Yes I’m sucker for TV documentary shows but I really enjoy this show. First off I’m happy that journalist Lisa Ling hosts this show, she has a certain way of conducting an interview that doesn’t come across crass. I also enjoy the different variety of topics the show documents too me there is never a dull moment in this show and there is always something to learn.

So these are my two reasons I like Oprah OWN network. I will not say that the network it’s perfect its far from it and it’s continuing to grow and develop but I will say give it chance.

What do you think of OWN ?

How Afro Hair is Styled in Prêt-à-Porter Fashion Shows: Case Study – CHANEL

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CHANEL is one of the most famous fashion houses in the world. Karl Lagerfled, who CI has discussed before, is a knowledge well and he does splash that onto the clothes he designs for CHANEL’s couture and Prêt-à-Porter shows.

Let’s look at CHANEL as our case study, as it is popular with women of colour, especially black women & Asian women. [Disclosure: I am a fan of the CHANEL aesthetic]. PS – Email subscribers, please enable images so you can view this post. The show we will study is the Autumn/Winter 2009-2010 collection.

1. Jourdan Dunn

Which show: Chanel Autumn/Winter 2009-2010

Where: Paris Fashion Week

[Image source: Style.com]

One key thing to note here is her hair is straight. Not a problem at all, but it highlights the idea that CHANEL are looking for a sleek hairdo, to accompany the slender frame of the clothes and the aesthetic. This does not mean Afro curls are not sleek, but in keeping with what CHANEL are trying to achieve, straight hair is what they want. Look at this caption I created from a YouTube video of the show where you can see Jourdan Dunn: Continue reading →

Glossed Up Afro Hair: Chanel Iman in Vanity Fair Italy

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Talk about Saturday & Sunday cookies and cream. This stunning photoshoot can be seen at its full glory at Ingrids Moteblogg, but here is one snapshot for your Saturday night!

[Email subscribers, please click through or enable images so you can view the gorgeous hair that Chanel* has]

* = Can someone verify whether Chanel is natural or whether her hair is relaxed or if she wears weave for shows? Her hair is still Afro as she is African-American so there you go m’ladies!

I loved this photoshot, so glad I stumbled across it. What do you think?

The Afro Natural Hair Revolution will be Televised

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Sharing my journey in video format, makes people feel like I am standing right next to them, showing them what to do.

–Kerry, from New York, a Natural Hair video blogger

Video blogging for natural hair has erupted into an audiovisual Cookie Monster. Women have decided to go online but with cameras to talk about their hair. I think this is a fascinating new trend in African hair because in many ways, video is a true way to encapsulate what is going on with black beauty. By the same token, does it make your hair too personal, and can you always connect with someone who could be ranting and raving about their hair?

Charcoal Ink is going to look at the phenomenon by asking the women on the frontline of the natural hair video blogging revolution. Are you armed with your flipcams? Keep reading this feature to find out why.

Kerry, natural hair video blogger extraordinaire

Kerry is from New York in the United States and she is one of the seasoned pros of the natural hair YouTube industry. Kerry, who went natural in November 2009, says: “For me doing natural hair videos is the easiest way to document my journey/growth, to connect with other people, to share different styling techniques and to get feedback.” This is a key factor to remember about the video bloggers for hair. With a traditional blog such as this one, an author will post a feature and secretly hope to be awash with comments. The difference with YouTube is in most cases: you are awash with feedback immediately because the visual element is so powerful. People like being able to see who they are speaking to. I think this is particularly relevant for natural hair as well. Continue reading →